A review is a text that summarizes the content of a work or event. It selects the most significant of the document, it exposes its main ideas, the purpose of the text and its finality, as well as all the complementary aspects to the text, from the point of view of the author.
As a general rule, Reviews Are usually descriptive, since they inform of the content without establishing value judgments or conclusions on the part of the author.
They can also be critical if you include the author's value judgments in it. A good critical writer should avoid favoritism or arbitrariness, must make fair value judgments, provoke a reflection and be based on his knowledge of the subject.
The review is a text that introduces or presents the subject considered, to invite the reader to read it. The review includes the development or analysis of the topic, the presentation of the arguments, whether for or against, refuting the opposites to the topic that is exposed.
For this, help of examples, data, testimonies, etc. In the conclusion are added the reaffirmation of the thesis and the consequences are extracted.
There are several types of reviews depending on the scope. They can be bibliographical or literary when dealing with books; Of cinema or television, if they deal with films, series or television programs; Events and shows, if the reviews are about plays and concerts; They can also be sports, when they deal with games, equipment, etc.; Politics; etc.
Key features of a review
1- Identify the work
To begin with a review, it is essential to identify what work we are referring to. It is necessary to include the essential bibliographical data of the title or article.
The reader has to know perfectly what work is concerned at all times. The review has to be based on a single work, and not mix it with others even if they are similar.
2- Submit the work
It is one of the important parts of the review, you have to present the work to the reader so that the reader is interested in it.
In short, a good writer of reviews, should be able to convey the essential features of the work you are dealing with.
3- Describe the structure
In the review has to glimpse the structure that follows the work of which is being discussed.
If the work is divided into chapters or sections, what is the narrative focus that the author takes throughout the work, etc.
4- Describe the content
A review should summarize perfectly the content of the work that we are analyzing, include the most important points.
If this is a critical review, you should first describe the content impartially and then post the value judgments of the review author. But the description of the content of the review always has to be neutral.
He has to summarize the texts that are published in the work in such a way as to explain the main idea of the author, not only the texts that are included and on which the work is based.
It is important to develop it properly, so that the reader can form an idea of what can be expected and will be found in the work reviewed.
It usually shows the theoretical background about the work, which shows the whole world that is portrayed within the work.
5- Critical analysis
When an author makes a criticism in his review, it must be based on valid and truthful arguments. For this it must rely on other theories and knowledge on the subject.
It may include theories of other authors to make the necessary comparisons to support their critique.
The criticism has to be constructive and contribute something to the subject, it has to be based on verifiable facts so that the reader knows all the possible information.
6- Conclusion
In a review it is important to include a conclusion of the work, a small summary of what has been previously reported, the points that can be found in favor and against, so that the reader understands the end of the work he wants to read.
7- Recommend the work
The review should always recommend the reading of the work being reviewed. Although the author of the review is contrary to what is published in the work, he should recommend to readers his reading for contrast and that they formulate their own conclusions.
It is not correct for a review to indicate that a work is bad and should not be read, the review must be unbiased and supported by demonstrable value judgments and in which readers can decide their own opinion about the work.
8- Identifying the author
It is important that in a review the image of the author of the work is portrayed. Know what your field of study, or your life experience, know what led you to make those conclusions and what is based or supported to do that work.
It is also good to know what are the ancestors and teachers of the field, to know what feature of the theory is in their field of action
9- Sign and identify
It is important that the author of a review is firm and not done anonymously.
If a review is made and well supported and substantiated, there should be no problem to show the name of the person who made that review.
It is not correct for someone to critically review a work anonymously, since that discredits the veracity and validity of the review in question.
References
- LOMAS, Carlos, et al. Teaching how to do things with words: theory and Practice of language education . [Links]
- CERÓN, Manuel Canales. Methodologies of social research. Santiago de Chile: LOM , 2006.
- ÁLVAREZ MÉNDEZ, Juan Manuel. Linguistic theory and language teaching: fundamental texts of interdisciplinary orientation. 1987.
- CASTELLÓ, Montserrat. Learn to write academic texts: copyists, scribes, compilers or writers. JI Pozo and Pérez Echeverría, MP (Coords.), The Psychology of university learning: from the acquisition of knowledge to training in skills , 2009, p. 120-133.
- MONTOLÍO, Estrella. Manual of academic and professional writing: Discursive strategies . Group Planeta Spain, 2015.
- CASTELLÓ, Montserrat. The process of writing academic texts. Writing and communicating in scientific and academic contexts. Knowledge and strategies , 2007, p. 47-82.
- MONTOLÍO, Estrella; LÓPEZ, A. Discursive specificities of professional texts versus academic texts: The case of professional recommendation. Academic and professional literacy in the 21st century: Reading and writing from the disciplines , 2010, p. 215-245.